Auerbach Anna Jo J, Andrews Tessa C
Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, 120 East Green St., Athens, GA 30602 USA.
Int J STEM Educ. 2018;5(1):19. doi: 10.1186/s40594-018-0112-9. Epub 2018 Apr 12.
Though active-learning instruction has the potential to positively impact the preparation and diversity of STEM graduates, not all instructors are able to achieve this potential. One important factor is the teacher knowledge that instructors possess, including their pedagogical knowledge. Pedagogical knowledge is the knowledge about teaching and learning that is not topic-specific, such as knowledge of learning theory, classroom management, and student motivation. We investigated the pedagogical knowledge that 77 instructors who report implementing active-learning instruction used as they analyzed video clips of lessons in large active-learning biology courses. We used qualitative content analysis, and drew on cognitive and sociocultural perspectives of learning, to identify and characterize the pedagogical knowledge instructors employed. We used the collective thinking of these instructors to generate a framework of pedagogical knowledge for active-learning instruction in large undergraduate biology courses.
We identified seven distinct components of pedagogical knowledge, as well as connections among these components. At the core of their thinking, participants evaluated whether instruction provided opportunities for students to generate ideas beyond what was presented to them and to engage in scientific practices. They also commonly considered student motivation to engage in this work and how instruction maximized equity among students. Participants noticed whether instructors monitored and responded to student thinking in real-time, how instruction prompted metacognition, and how links were built between learning tasks. Participants also thought carefully about managing the logistics of active-learning lessons.
Instructors who report using active-learning instruction displayed knowledge of principles of how people learn, practical knowledge of teaching strategies and behaviors, and knowledge related to classroom management. Their deep knowledge of pedagogy suggests that active-learning instruction requires much more than content knowledge built through training in the discipline, yet many college STEM instructors have little or no training in teaching. Further research should test this framework of pedagogical knowledge in different instruction contexts, including different STEM disciplines. Additional research is needed to understand what teacher knowledge is critical to effective active-learning instruction and how the development of this knowledge is best facilitated. Achieving widespread improvement in undergraduate STEM education will likely require transforming our approach to preparing and supporting undergraduate instructors.
尽管主动学习教学法有潜力对STEM专业毕业生的培养和多样性产生积极影响，但并非所有教师都能发挥这种潜力。一个重要因素是教师所具备的知识，包括他们的教学知识。教学知识是关于教学和学习的知识，不针对特定主题，例如学习理论、课堂管理和学生动机方面的知识。我们调查了77位报告采用主动学习教学法的教师在分析大型主动学习生物课程的教学视频片段时所运用的教学知识。我们采用定性内容分析法，并借鉴学习的认知和社会文化视角，来识别和描述教师运用的教学知识。我们利用这些教师的集体思维，为大型本科生物课程的主动学习教学法生成一个教学知识框架。
我们识别出教学知识的七个不同组成部分以及这些组成部分之间的联系。在他们思维的核心，参与者评估教学是否为学生提供了超越所呈现内容产生想法并参与科学实践的机会。他们通常还会考虑学生参与这项工作的动机以及教学如何最大程度地实现学生之间的公平。参与者留意教师是否实时监测并回应学生的思维、教学如何促进元认知以及学习任务之间如何建立联系。参与者还仔细思考了主动学习课程的后勤管理。
报告采用主动学习教学法的教师展示了关于人们如何学习的原理知识、教学策略和行为的实践知识以及与课堂管理相关的知识。他们对教学法的深入了解表明，主动学习教学法所需的远不止通过学科培训积累的内容知识，然而许多大学STEM教师几乎没有或根本没有接受过教学培训。进一步的研究应该在不同的教学环境中，包括不同的STEM学科，测试这个教学知识框架。还需要进行额外的研究，以了解哪些教师知识对于有效的主动学习教学至关重要，以及如何最好地促进这种知识的发展。要实现本科STEM教育的广泛改进，可能需要改变我们培养和支持本科教师的方式。
